When ComForCare Home Care franchise owners meet at their annual convention, the awards are a highlight. Of those, one in particular draws a lot of interest: the Sprinter Award, which was created to honor new franchise owners who achieved significant billable hours during their first six months of operation.<\/p>\n
Hailed for their personal drive, dedication and passion to serve others, Sprinter Award winners show that a strong business can be developed by never relenting on providing the highest quality of service possible<\/p>\n
One of last year\u2019s winners was ComForCare Home Care Sarasota North franchise owner Kelly Brown, who began operations in January 2018. Here\u2019s the story of her ComForCare journey and how she plans to keep taking her business to the next level.<\/p>\n
I was a retail executive and was actually looking at retiring. Then my father had some health issues, and I went to help him through that experience. The whole time, as we dealt with hospitals, rehabs, doctors\u2019 offices, I kept thinking to myself, \u2018There must be a better way for people to be treated.\u2019 So I began researching it. I didn\u2019t want to go back to school to be a nurse or doctor but wanted to do something that could help a broad spectrum of people in a personal way. This was where I landed.<\/p>\n
I studied 14 brands; there are a lot of options out there. Some weren\u2019t an option because there was no territory available where I was going to be, or I didn\u2019t like the marketing or other business approaches. I landed on ComForCare because I liked the way I was treated by people in the corporate office and because I could see we wanted the same thing for clients. The big question was how they ran their business, and I liked what I learned from them.<\/p>\n
In some respects, it has gone exactly as I thought it would, but there also has been a lot to learn. My situation was unique because I was not opening in the city I lived in, but rather in a new city where I didn\u2019t know anyone. I have owned a home near my mother for eight years and knew I would be eventually moving there to help her as she aged. I also wanted to retire in Florida and have been visiting for many years. So, when I bought a ComForCare territory, I bought one in the Sarasota area and went ahead and made the move.<\/p>\n
Breaking into this industry, when you\u2019re not in the medical profession in any way, shape or form, has both positives and negatives. People may have a preconceived notion about you since you are new, and they may not be likely to give you a referral, but that also works for the positive \u2014 you\u2019re new, so they will give you a chance!<\/p>\n
One thing I have learned is that this is very much a one-on-one referral business, and it is all about relationships. Having connections in the right hospitals and facilities is great, but you also have to have those relationships in place.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s diverse. There are two agencies here that are privately owned and have been here more than 20 years, so they have a lot of the business. There also are around 75 licensed agencies in my county \u2014 Florida is the land of older people.<\/p>\n
We also have lots of opportunities for non-elderly business, because home health is very visible here. A lady was having foot surgery and hired us 24\/7 because she was not supposed to put that foot down for any reason. We were there constantly the first week, then stepped down over a 9 week period. Her doctor told her he\u2019d never seen a recovery go so well.<\/p>\n
This is not a hands-off business. Do not think you can be successful and not be involved. One thing I do differently from most of my competitors is I meet personally with every client, and I meet the caregiver at the client\u2019s home during their first shift. It takes time away from some of my other activities, but it ties back to the experiences I went through with my father. I can\u2019t help people if I don\u2019t know them. My clients are not a name on a piece of paper, but actual people who need my help. If you\u2019re not willing to think of it like that, then don\u2019t do this.<\/p>\n
Know that here will be hard days. When those come, remember all the people you help. Be ready to go out and work a shift if someone calls in sick, but try really hard to have the systems in place so you don\u2019t have to do that. You have to be able to run the business, and you can\u2019t do that if you\u2019re in the field all the time. Even so, it\u2019s great to spend time with new clients. I was with one lady for a day so I could understand some of the issues she\u2019d had while living in a skilled nursing facility. She hadn\u2019t been eating well, and no one had noticed that she couldn\u2019t see everything on one side of the plate \u2014 so we started turning it. Sometimes you just have to listen to what someone is trying to tell you.<\/p>\n
ComForCare<\/a> is a successful, multifaceted business that offers peace of mind and improved quality of life for senior citizens and their families through support around life\u2019s everyday tasks, and also through exciting and innovative programs such as DementiaWise\u00ae , a comprehensive care approach for people with Alzheimer\u2019s disease or other forms of dementia that focuses on accentuating the positive by supporting and encouraging remaining skills and abilities; and Joyful Memories, an interactive, singalong program that uses the power of music to create connections and positive outlets for emotional expression. ComForCare\u2019s other differentiators include in-home nurse assessments, customized care plan development and ongoing evaluation to anticipate and plan for changes, all based on the client\u2019s interests, hobbies, skills and abilities that provide joy and purpose in their life.<\/p>\n For in-depth details about the ComForCare franchise opportunity, download our Free Franchise Opportunity Report<\/a>. You also can learn more by visiting our research pages<\/a>.<\/p>\nLearn More About the ComForCare\u00a0Franchise Opportunity<\/h2>\n